Perhaps graphically, but personally I feel this is the most exciting TW game since I first discovered Rome:TW back in the day (back when "total war" came after the specific time period in the title!) Having magic in the game opens up so many possibilities, and the development crew can actually get a little creative instead of just implementing historically accurate units, and factions can end up being more balanced without worrying about being true to real history. Graphically I won't be able to max it out anyways so I'm just hoping it scales down well.
It's about value to me.
Is a re-skinned, re-tuned Warhammer themed Rome II worth $80?
No, not really. It's the exact same layout, and really falls into the "total conversion mod" category. You know the balancing and gameplay mechanics are essentially going to be the same. Performance will be the same, turn times will be the same, city management will be the same. I've already done this, 2 times .
Not to mention all the already known issues with any game coming out; not polished, not finished, to short, to expensive, to much dlc, etc etc...
I really have to say I'm turning sour toward gaming at the moment. The industry just keeps rehashing and reselling the same product, and it seems more and more like people with gaming addictions are being taken advantage of more than the average consumer.